Projects for 2024

[Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain]

Does anyone have crafts projects for 2024?

Mine are:-

• mosaic cats picture to finish
• small sunflower mosaic to finish
• Christmas wreath mosaic (started)
• inspiration title cross stitch to start
• old broken Scottish kilt man puppet to mend

Knitted top
Crochet top
More sewing projects (just learning)

I have two quilts to finish:

Dresden plates quilt
scrappy squares quilt

I MUST finish the after Christmas fireplace swag before January 6 when the Christmas one comes down. So far it is only two strands of fake Ivy and the lights….this will not do. I want to do a spring swag for the bedroom, too.

Ive got a neckpiece on the stretching board which needs backing if I am going to wear it before it gets too warm.

However, I’ve just finished the party food for 28 people tonight , so I’m not feeling too guilty.

I have so many things I want to do:

Finish a pair of gloves (preferably before the winter ends…)
Finish a pair of socks I started two years ago
Sew a couple of tops and trousers
Lots of ideas for bookbinding projects

I’ve become so engrossed in my bookbinding hobby that I have enough notebooks to last me for the next six months at least. Fortunately it turns out that lots of people like the idea of a handmade notebook, sketchbook or photo album. I’ve had so many requests from family & friends over Christmas, that I can continue my hobby without fear of drowning in stationary by the end of the year 😂

I’m exactly the same. I think it’s time with me or I keep meaning to do things and in my spare time eg evenings and weekends I’m either too tired or doing other things, usually out of the house! That’s where I used to love my local authority sewing/mosaics/stained glass (almost speared my foot with glass shard going there in Birkenstocks though!) because you actually did things there in an allotted time. I might see what’s on in person though.

When I was depressed and anxious and off work for 2.5 months last year I didn’t want to do my hobbies either…

@CrimsonAlligator - love the username btw! How easy is it to learn bookbinding? Always good to get requests. My school friend at junior school his dad was a professional bookbinder and worked I think in the city (Fleet Street?) doing this. In the 70s he appeared on Larry Grayson’s Generation Game as he had to demonstrate to bind a book and the contestants had to copy him.

Top tips, not from me but from DM who I was staying with over Christmas. She keeps an area like a sewing basket with things she needs to mend, so eg thermal socks she needs to darn, clothes to be altered. Arts, different box but eg projects.

I tend to put mosaics in different places so I might find a carrier bag with something in. I have now sorted them into one area mostly so that’s progress.

I think one project a month would be good to aim for.

Learning bookbinding isn’t too hard, but it does require patience and a lot of attention to detail. And there’s a difference between learning to make a book and learning to make it well…I fall firmly in the first category. Just happy if it looks ok and the pages don’t fall out 😂

I often find it hard to find the motivation to start things…and to finish them, so my crafty resolution for 2024 is to build more of a creative habit. Just sit down every evening and do something, no matter how small. Having some sort of structure has worked really well for me in the past, even if I lost the habit eventually. I guess it’s not too dissimilar from how going to classes helps you @Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain ?

I used to knit a lot but haven't done any for years. But seeing so many lovely jumpers while planning our trip to Iceland next summer has me inspired so today I have ordered lopi wool to knit a jumper for DH. It's cost so much it will give me the incentive to get on and finish it quickly.

I’ve a Jenny Adin Christie Australian wren to make. Family clubbed together to get me the kit. My embroidery has really come along in the past couple of years but I’m not quite sure I’m good enough for this one.

I’ve also got three Corinne Lapierre felt kits, currently making a needle case, and I also got the polar bear kit and a Robbin decoration. DH got me the Lorna Bateman embroidered Gardens book for Christmas and I’m looking forward to doing some of those projects too.

I’ve setup my sewing in two willow woven baskets I keep near my chair for easy storage, and it also means I can whip them out of the way when the DGC come round.

Two new challenges for me for 2024 - knitting socks and learning new crochet techniques. For the second I have 4 workshops booked out of which I aim to have a blanket. A book has been ordered for the first so I'm meaning to do it. I'll report back in 365 days time.